Railway switch lever latch stand



Feb. 23, 1954 H. L. BONE RAILWAY SWITCH LEVER LATCH STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1950 INVENTOR.

O 0 n 0 Jo Her 01% LBone BY M H15 ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. L. BONE RAILWAY SWITCH LEVER LATCH STAND Fig 5? Fig? 4.

Feb. 23, 1954 Filed Oct. 28, 1950 JNVENTOR. Herb rt L Bone HIS ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1954 RAILWAY SWITCH LEVER LATCH STAND Herbert L. Bon

Westinghouse Air Br tion of Pennsylvania alt e, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to e Company, a corpora- Application October 28, 1950', Serial No. 192,659 10 Claims. (01. 70-196,)

My: invention relates to railway switch lever latch: stands and particularly to latch stands whereby the throw lever and theselector lever of a dual control switch and lock movement of the usual. and well-known type are held against unauthorized m-ovement' by a pivoted locking memher.

In territory wherein a centralized trafiic control system is being installed, it is desirable to operate the dual control switch and lock movements as'manually such installation period and prior to the placing of. such a system into operation. During the installation period of the control system, the line wires are used for operational and test purposes. It is therefore undesirable to operate the selector lever of the movement, since operation of this lever actuates a cut-out contact in the circuit of the drive motor. For purposesof installation and test of the system, the selector lever should be placed in its manual position and locked in that position to prevent unauthorized movement thereof. In latch stands heretofore provided, both the selector lever and the hand-throw lever were locked in definite positions, but the unlocking of the latch stands permitted both the handthrow' lever and the selector lever to be moved.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a lever latch stand for the hand-throw andselectorlevers ofa dual control switch operating mechanism whereby the two levers may be locked against movement, provisions being made therein for releasing both of said levers, or the hand-throw lever alone.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ver latch stand wherein a single latching member will. be moved to its latching position after insertion of the selector lever and/or the handthrow lever into the lever stand.

The lever latch stand hereinafter more fully described comprises an adjustable lever stand provided at'itsupper end with a recess for receiving in'juxtaposition both the hand-throw and the selector lever of a dual control switch and lock movement. A latching member pivoted to the lever stand is biased to alatching position wherein the recess oithe lever stand is covered to prevent movement of either of the'two' levers. Provisions are made for locking the latching member in its latching position with two padlocks, the removalof one padlock permitting the latching member to be moved from its latching position a limited amount topermit the movement-or. the handsthrow lever alone; the removal ofboth pac1- locks permitting. the latching; member to be perated mechanisms during 2 moved to its unlatched position wherein both levers may be moved. The lever latch stand is further characterized by the provision of a unitary structure comprising the latching member and a pedal for moving the latching member from its latched position, the biasing means associated I with the unitary structure returning the latching member to its latched position upon release of pressure upon the pedal portion of the structure.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become a tion proceeds.

I shall describe one form of a lever latch stand embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a typical switch installation. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view in section illustrating the-concentric mounting of the hand-throw lever and. the selector lover of the switch and lock movement illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a frontelevational view of a lever latch stand embodying my invention, while Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference character A designates a railway switch comprising two fixed rails I and la and two movable rails 2 and 2a. The fixed rails are laid on tie plates 3 and are secured in the usual manner to the crossties 4. The movable rails 2 and" 2a are fastened together by means of a front rod 5' and a head rod 6, and may be moved to their normal or reverse positions by means of a throw rod .1 which is connected to the usual basket 8 fixed tothe head rod. When the switch A occupies its normal position as illustrated in Fig. 1, the movable rail 2 engages the fixed rail I! while the movable rail 2a is spaced from the fixed rail la. When the switch A is in its reverse position, the movable rail 2a engages the fixed rail la, whilethe-movable rail 2 is spaced from the fixed rail I:

Secured to the elongated crossties 4 adjacent I the outer'sideof the fixed rail I is a switch and lockmo'vement B, more fully described and illustrated in my copending application Serial No; 203,709,. filed on- December 30, 1950, for Railway Switch Operating Apparatus. The switch and lock movement B comprises three enclosures 9, HI; and H housing a drive motor, a reduction. gearing and selector mechanism, and a: circuit controller, respectively; all of which: arenot illusi-v trated herein. Journaledx in; a suitable bearing- 12.

of the enclosure to (Fig. 2% is a-tubular shaft til pparent as the descriphaving fixed thereto in a suitable manner a handthrow lever I4. Journaled within said tubular shaft is a shaft I5 having fixed thereto a selector lever [6.

Under normal operating conditions, the switch A will be moved to its normal and reverse positions upon operation of the drive motor of the switch and lock movement B. The selector and hand-throw levers described provide an overriding manual control of the switch and lock movement. The selector lever I6 when moved from its motor position to its manual position operates a clutch mechanism within the enclosure I to disengage the drive motor of the switch and lock movement, at the same time engaging the manual drive for the movement. Movement of the handthrow lever from one extreme position to the other when the selector lever is in its manual position will move the switch points to their corresponding normal or reverse positions.

A novel lever latch stand [1 embodying my invention is fixed to the crossties on both sides of the concentric shafts I3 and I5 to lock the handthrow and selector levers in their extreme positions. The lever latch stand I! (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a base plate I8 secured by bolts I9 to the crossties 4. The base plate I8 is formed with an upstanding threaded boss having threaded therein an upright lever stand 2| as by threaded end 22, the lever stand being locked in place by a locknut 23. It will be readily appreciated that the height of the lever stand may be adjusted by loosening the locknut 23 and turning the stand in the threaded boss 20 until the desired height of the stand is obtained, the locknut being then tightened to lock the stand in place.

The lever stand 2| is bifurcated at its upper end, terminating in two arms 24 and 25 which form a recess 26 for receiving the hand-throw lever l4 and the selector lever I6, the facing upper ends of the arms being bevelled as at 24a and 250., respectively, to facilitate insertion of the levers in the recess. For purposes hereinafter appearing, the arm 24 is provided with a horizontally extending tongue 2'! formed with two spaced openings 28 and 29, the opening 28 being the larger of the two openings and disposed slightly below and inwardly of the opening 29. Integral with the underside of arm 25 and the lever stand 2| is an arcuate member 30 forming an inverted recess 3|. Member 30 is formed with a dependent extension or lug 32 which will hereinafter be referred to as the stop The lever stand 2| is further provided with a centrally disposed, transverse boss 33 having a horizontal through opening 34. Pivoted on said lever stand by a shaft 35 journaled in the opening 34 is a latching member 36. The latching member comprises two upwardly extending arms 31 and 38 mounted on the extending ends of the shaft 35. The lower ends of the arms 3'! and 38 are formed with rearwardly extending members, only member 38a of arm 38 being illustrated. The lower ends of the arms are joined by an integrally formed pedal 39 having a serrated upper surface 48, while the rearwardly extending members of the arms are joined by an integrally formed transverse arm 4! having a boss 42 on the top surface thereof. The upper ends of the two arms 31 and 38 are joined by an integrally formed latch 43 extending rearwardly from said arms and downwardly in an arcuate portion 43a which terminates at its lower edge in a shoulder 44. It will be noted that the shoulder of the latch overlies the greater part of the recess 26 when the latching member is in its latching position as illustrated in Fig. 4. A coil compression spring 45 is interposed between the lever stand and the foot lever, one end of the spring being within the recess 3| while the other end of the spring abuts the boss 42 on the arm 4|. The coil spring 45 tends to bias the latching member in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 4), to its latching position as illustrated, with the arms 31 and 38 abutting the arm 24. In the latching position, the tongu 2! projects through a slot 46 formed between the two arms 31 and 38. The bails 48 and 49 of two padlocks 50 and 5| passed through the openings 28 and 29, respectively, lock the latching member against movement.

It will be noted that the bails of the two padlocks are of different diameters, the diameter of the bail 48 being larger than the diameter of the bail 49. The padlock 5B is termed the trainmans padlock while the padlock 5| is termed the signalmans padlock; the bail of the trainmans padlock being insertable only through the opening 28 of the tongue 21.

When the latching member is in the normal position illustrated due to the bias of the spring 45, the shoulder 44 of the latch 43 prevents the upward movement of the two levers I4 and I6. Depressing the pedal 39 will tend to rotate the latch member in a clockwis direction, the bail 48 of the trainmans padlock 5U preventing the movement of the latching member. Removal of the trainmans padlock will permit limited rotation of the latching member in a clockwise direction when the pedal is depressed, until th arms 31 and 38 abut the bail 49 of the signalmans padlock 5 I. The movement of the latching member is sufficient to withdraw the shoulder 44 enough to uncover a part of the recess 26 to permit the hand-throw lever l4 to be lifted to operat the switch and lock movement. Should both padlocks be removed from the lever latch stand, the latching member may be rotated in a clockwise direction until the arm 4| abuts the stop 32. The rotation of the latching member will withdraw the shoulder 44 of the latch member to uncover the recess 26. Both the selector lever I6 and the hand-throw lever I4 may then be lifted to operate the switch and lock movement B. The return of both levers to the lever latch stand is facilitated by the arcuate portion 43a of the latch 43, the arcuate portion 43a serving as a camming surface which, when engaged by either of the levers, serves to rotate the latching member 36 in a clockwise direction against the bias of the spring 45 to permit insertion of the lever into the stand, the spring 45 returning the latching member to its latching position.

An advantage of the lever latch stand embodying my invention is that it comprises rela: tively few parts and is comparatively simple to operate. A further advantage of the lever latch stand is that the hand-throw lever and the selector lever are both locked against movement by the same latching member, an arrangement which permits the movement of the selector and the hand-throw levers or the hand-throw lever alone by railroad employees as authorized by the particular padlock and key assigned to them. Thus the trainman may release the hand-throw lever but the signalmans key is required to release the selector lever.

Although I have herein shown and described, only one form of a lever latch stand embodying my invention, it is understood that variouschanges: and modifications may be made: therein the scope: of the appended claims without departing from" the spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having: thus described my invention, what I cI'ainris:

1 A lever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess for receiving: bothof said levers, alatching member biased to a latching position, said latching member comprising a latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is inits latching position; means for moving said latching member to an unlatched position to permit withdrawal of said levers from said recess, and means for locking said latching member when said: latching member is in its latching position, said locking means including means permitting limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess;

2; A lever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers; a latching member pivoted to said memb'erand biased to a latching position, said latchingmember comprising alatch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is in its latching position, and a pedal for moving said member away from its latching position to an unlatching position; and means for locking said latching member when said latching member is in its latching position, said locking means including means permitting limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

3; Alever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers"; latching member pivoted on said member and biased to a latching position, said latch ing member comprising two spaced arms inter connected? atone end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is in its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space between said arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being provided with two openings; and a lock for said openings, said lock in one of said openings preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position by said pedal, said lock in the other of said openings permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

4. A lever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers in juxtaposition, a latching member pivoted on said member and biased to a latching position, said latching member comprising two spaced arms interconnected at one end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers it's out or said recess when its latching: position, said to move said" latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space betweenrsaid arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being.

provided with: two openings; and a lock for each of said openings, the lock in one opening preventing movement of said latching member from its. latching position by said pedal, and thelock in the other opening permitting only limited arms interconnected at one end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recesswhen said latching member'is in its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space lie-- tween said arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being pro-- vided with two openings, one opening being" larger than the other opening; and a lock for each of said openings, one of said locks fitting only the larger of said openings, said one look in the larger opening preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position" by said pedal, the other of said locks in the smaller opening permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal when said one look is removed from the larger opening topermit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

6 A lever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers in juxtaposition a latching member pivoted on said member and comprising two spaced arms interconnected at one end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is in its latching position, a spring interposed between said member and said latching member biasing said latching member to its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space between said arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being provided with two openings; and a lock for each of said openings, the lock in one opening preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position by said pedal, the lock in the other opening permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal when the other of said locks is removed from said first opening to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

7. A lever latch stand for locking two movable said latching mem Pedal being adapt r levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers in juxtaposition; a latching member pivoted on said member and comprising two spaced arms interconnected at one end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is in its latching position, a spring interposed between said member and said latching member biasing said latching member to its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space between said arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being provided with two openings, one opening being larger than the other opening; and a lock for each of said openings, the lock in the larger opening preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position by said pedal, the lock in the smaller opening permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal when said first lock is removed from the larger opening to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

8. A lever latch stand for locking two movable levers against movement comprising, a member having a recess adapted to receive both of said levers in juxtaposition; a latching member pivoted on said member and comprising two spaced arms interconnected at one end by a pedal and at the other end by a latch portion, said latch portion substantially overlying said recess to prevent movement of said levers out of said recess when said latching member is in its position, a spring interposed between said member and said latching member biasing said latching member to its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said member extending through the space between said arms when latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being provided with two openings, one opening being larger than the other opening; and a lock for each of said opennigs, one of said locks fitting only the larger of said openings, said one look in the larger opening preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position by said pedal, the other of said locks in the smaller opening permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal when said one look is removed from the larger opening to permit movement of one of said levers out of said recess.

9. A lever latch stand comprising, a member having a recess, a latching member biased to a latching position, said latching member having a. latch portion substantially overlying said recess when said latching member is in its latching position, means for moving said latching member from its latching position to uncover said recess, and means for locking said latching member in its latching position, said locking means including means permitting limited momement of said latching member from its latching position to partially uncover said recess.

10. A lever latch stand comprising, an upright member having a recess at its upper end and a spring retainer; a latching member pivoted on said upright member and comprising two spaced arms interconnected at their lower ends by a pedal and a transverse arm, and at their upper ends by a latch portion; said latch portion substantially overlying the recess in said upright member when said latching member is in its latching position; a spring interposed between said spring retainer and said transverse arm biasing said latching member to its latching position, said pedal being adapted to move said latch portion to uncover said recess to permit the withdrawal of both said levers, a tongue on said upright member extending through the space between said arms when said latching member is in its latching position, said tongue being provided with two openings, and a lock for each of said openings, the lock in one opening preventing movement of said latching member from its latching position by said pedal and the lock in the other opening permitting only limited movement of said latching member away from its latching position by said pedal when the other of said locks is removed from said first opening.

HERBERT L. BONE.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 778,336 Robinson Dec. 27, 1904 1,930,722 McWhirter Oct. 17, 1933 2,387,115 Bone Oct. 16, 1945 

